Creation Care

Creation Care Committee

A group of parishioners and staff meet regularly to explore ways to improve our environmental practices as individuals and as a parish community, and make recommendations to our vestry. Activities have included:

• Hosting films at St. Stephen’s as part of Richmond’s environmental festival;
• Bringing speakers to the church for the entire community;
• Planting and tending a pollinator garden (pictured);
• Offering electronics recycling events;
• Hosting an environmental book group;
• Writing articles on environmental/spiritual concerns for St. Stephen’s magazine Seasons of the Spirit.

These are just some of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to this work. If you would like to be part of these efforts please let us know. Parishioners serving as the group’s conveners are Sue Wootton and Bill Gray; the staff liaison is Anna Jones.

Parish Practices

In addition to the work of the creation care committee, the parish has initiated several ministries, practices, and projects to address environmental concerns.

• In 2018, we installed a solar array on the roof of the parish house which not only reduces dependence on fossil fuels but prolongs the life of the roof.
• We established our farmers market in part to allow members of the community to purchase local food and reduce their carbon footprint. We also work with community partners such as Shalom Farms to enlarge these efforts.
• Our café uses reusable, recyclable, and compostable utensils, dishes, and cups, and provides different receptacles for each kind of waste.
• We purchase items for our café and our kitchen from local sources whenever possible, include coffee and tea from Rostov’s Coffee and Tea here in Richmond.
• Recycling receptacles are positioned throughout the campus, and we contract with a composting company that can accept more materials than can usually be composted in typical home  composter. This reduces waste throughout our parish house and especially in the kitchen where we prepare community suppers and receptions as well as foods to be sold in the May Fair House.